In an electronic component mounting apparatus, a tape feeder is used as a commonly known method of feeding electronic components into a pick-up location of a nozzle of transfer head. In this method, a tape bearing the electronic components is pulled out of a supply reel, and fed to the nozzle by advancing it intermittently in synchronization with mounting timing of the electronic components. This tape feeder intermittently advances the tape only a predetermined amount by rotating a sprocket, which is in engagement with feedholes perforated in the tape.
In using tape feeders, it is a general practice to prepare a number of tape feeders of the same kind, and any of these tape feeders are mounted to a plurality of electronic component mounting apparatuses as needed. In other words, when taking a certain feeder mounting base of the electronic component mounting apparatus as an example, a number of the tape feeders that are adaptable for installation are mounted to it. These tape feeders supply electronic components to the transfer head by advancing the tapes toward a pick-up location.
Because there are various types of electronic components having different sizes, it is necessary to prepare many kinds of tape feeders according to widths of the tapes that bear the electronic components as well as mount pitches of the electronic components along the tapes. However, the conventional tape feeder requires a complicated operation to change a distance of advancement of the sprocket, when the tape requires a different advancing pitch due to a difference in the type of electronic components even if the tape used has the same dimension widthwise. In addition, it is desirable to set an advancing speed and acceleration of the tape appropriately according to the type of electronic components, since there is a risk that the components will move out of their normal positions and result in a failure to stably pick-up the components depending on the type of electronic components and the operation during advancement of the tape. However, it is not possible to make such a setting of the tape advancing speed easily with the conventional tape feeders.
In many of these tape feeders, there are tape advancing errors due to individual instrumental errors, and a position of the advanced tape does not always come into alignment with the pick-up location of the transfer head. Mechanical adjustments are therefore necessary, such as alignment of a positioning dowel for each of the tape feeders in the prior art, and they require a great effort if many tape feeders are involved.